August 30–September 1: Life at the Museum Labor Day Weekend

Spend this Labor Day weekend at the Museum exploring the biodiversity of life. From arachnids to amphibians and mammals to mollusks there is something for everyone.

AMNH/R.Mickens

Head to the Hall of Biodiversity to experience the 2,500-square-foot walk-through diorama of the Dzanga-Sangha rain forest—can you spot the hidden wildlife in this nighttime scene? Or learn about the abundance of life on Earth in the hall’s Spectrum of Life exhibit featuring 1,500 specimens and models representing a wide range of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. The Endangered Species case features a number of endangered and extinct species, including a dodo skeleton. Around the corner, don’t miss the specimen of a Passenger Pigeon in the "Firsthand Observer" section of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall. September 1, Labor Day, is the 100th anniversary of the death in captivity of the last known living Passenger Pigeon.

More than 16 species of astounding arachnids await in the Spiders Alive! exhibition, including a giant vinegaroon, which if disturbed may shoot a foul-smelling spray from its abdomen. The spray contains acetic acid, the same chemical that gives vinegar is unmistakable tang–hence the species’ name.

Giant Vangaroon

AMNH/R.Mickens

In the reticulated python diorama in the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians, you will see a model see one of the world’s largest snakes, which can reach 32-feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds. In the same diorama, you will find two Malaysian horned frog models; these frogs’ tadpoles have peculiar funnel-shaped mouths with which they suck tiny particles of food from the surface of the water.

Reticulated Python Diorama

AMNH/D.Finnin

Discover a myriad of mammals from around the world in the Museum’s six mammal halls, including the Bernard Family Hall of North American Mammals. The Museum’s mammal collection is among the largest in the world—it numbers 278,500 specimens--allowing Museum and visiting scientists to study the diversity of living and recently extinct mammals and to explore the mechanisms responsible for their evolution.